I'm Speechless

As you know by now, Colin Firth won Best Actor for his portrayal of King VI of Britain in The King's Speech. I didn't see it on the big screen but look forward to the TV version.

To millions he is seen as a king but alas, to this fan, he will always affectionately be known as "Mr. Darcy".


I'm speechless.

My Favorite Flavor?

Vanilla Strawberry! Not in terms of scoops, but in blooms.

Meet the latest addition ordered for our garden, the unique Hydrangea Vanilla Strawberry. It was voted best new plant by the American Landscape and Nursery Association, and it's easy to see why.

By mid-summer, large white flower heads will turn pink and then become strawberry red or even burgundy. All three colors will be displayed within two weeks of the first bloom.

Now to find the perfect spot for my yummy addition!

My Friday Fave

• What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers. ~Logan Pearsall Smith, "All Trivia," Afterthoughts, 1931

• I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. ~James Michener

• Why do writers write? Because it isn't there. - Thomas Berger

• What no wife of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he's staring out of the window. ~Burton Rascoe
  

• If I fall asleep with a pen in my hand, don't remove it - I might be writing in my dreams. ~Terri Guillemets
  

• Writing is a product of silence. ~Carrie Latet

And my absolute favorite quote?

• "We are literature missionaries." -Marlene Bagnull, "Write His Answer...A Bible Study for Christian Writers"

Some Things Never Change

Weather changes...
Moods change...
Logos change...
Interests change...
Churches change...
People change...

But this morning, as I drove away from our "let's-catch-up-over-latte" time, my best friend Teresa reminded me that some things never change. Even after all these years, the two peas remain joyfully in their pod.

Something for which I am eternally grateful.

Kudos to Kindle

It read much like a love letter in my inbox this morning:

From: Amazon
To: Cathy

We have a new, free software update for your Kindle...including real page numbers.

To: Amazon
From: Cathy

I loved my Kindle from day one---but now you've won me over. No flowers necessary!

A Bittersweet Reminder

My heirloom jonquils continue to serve as a sweet reminder of my grandmother's smile that was as bright as these sunny buttercups unfurling towards heaven.

My Friday Fave

One of my favorite people, Cathy Strawhorn, introduced me to this Bible study for Christian Writers. And with chapter titles like these how could it not be a favorite?

• Called to Write
• Look to Jesus
• Keeping in Balance
• Learning to Wait
• Overcoming Procrastination
• Disappointed but Not Discouraged

Sold!

Why Do We Do What We Do?

It's a question this adult Bible teacher has asked herself, especially when situations such as these have reared their ugly heads over the years:

• A person appears to be growing spiritually, with fellow followers cheering him on from the sideline, only to have an addiction suddenly swallow him whole, along with his family, and most likely, his future.
  
• Those with copious excuses for not attending group time.
  
• Seeing friends begin strong but lack follow-through to finish well.
  

And the answer to that question remains the same: It's my calling, and with that calling comes freedom, and with that freedom, joy...regardless of circumstances.

Haven't you found this to be true in your own calling?

No situation, even those fraught with disappointments and heartache, don't get us off track for long because we didn't place ourselves in this calling---God did. And with this one powerful fact we are freed from trying to be another person's "Holy Spirit" or trying to make sense of situations that make no sense at all.

Each situation released to the Lord, for His glory...and in His way, a.k.a. sweet freedom.

How Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the way.

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. 1 John 5:3

I can do all the good works one can muster
I can sing His praise (in tune even!)
I can attend church every time the doors are open
I can lead a Bible Class
I can stay busy for Jesus

But if I am not obeying God's commands
in the small things as well as the more "visible" things,
He is not receiving my love.

And that breaks my heart.

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:16,17

My Friday Fave

I love pictures that leave me with more questions than answers, which is exactly why I chose this vintage picture as my Friday Fave.

Unfortunately, my snapshot doesn't do this picture justice, but the colors are beautifully muted with shades of pink and dreamy teal blues. One cannot know what the woman might be contemplating as she intently stares at the small white shell carefully cupped in her hand.

But one can wonder -- and therein lies the beauty of the picture.

It All Began With a Light Dusting

Any time morning snow is forecast for our area, I hop out of bed anticipating a white wonderland -- but rest assured, that was not my wish for this morning. Basically, I knew a light dusting of snow on the ground would translate into a light dusting of powdered sugar on my French Toast instead of a cancellation, as feared.

Our Upstate Fellowship of Christian Writers group was canceled in January due to snow, and we did not want to miss another one...or the breakfast at Coach House that precedes each meeting.

During today's reading, I shared a poem I'd written about my grandmother's house. When I returned home from the meeting, I learned that the closing date for her house had been moved up to today at 4:00. I suppose as I write this the house is no longer legally my grandparent's home, but it will always be exactly that to me.

Vonda shared in her devotion five things that can steal our joy, one being ingratitude. Today you find this woman's heart filled with gratitude for:

• Inaccurate weather forecasts.
• The cook at Coach House.
  
• Memories that will linger for a lifetime.
  
• Vonda and Edie's leadership.
• Amazing (and very talented) friends who just happen to write!

...and it all began with a light dusting of snow powdered sugar.

No Potion Required

In the Twilight Zone episode, "The Chaser", we find a young man desperate to have a particular woman love him in return. He tried everything to win her heart to no avail. Finally, the young man was introduced to Professor A. Daemon, who offered the perfect immediate gratification solution...a love potion, 100% guaranteed, and only a buck!

For a brief moment, I thought the potion seemed like the perfect Valentine's Day gift. After all, we could determine who would love us and they would have no say-so in the matter. With only a few drops of the potion, they would find themselves helplessly and hopelessly in love with us despite the extra pounds, fluctuating hormones, or thinning hair-- we would have total control! (Okay, maybe I thought about it for more than a brief moment).

And then reality struck my heart much like Cupid's bow and arrow, for what is love -- true love -- if it is not chosen for one's self?

Think about it. How much easier would it have been for God to create an army of "puppets" who were born with a love tunnel vision only for Him? Their only longing was for Him, their only desire, for Him? They wouldn't know why they loved Him, they just did. Love, however, is not a characteristic of our God, it is our God -- He defines it -- and He knew if true love was to be reciprocated, it must be done so with a free will. And that's exactly what He gave each of us.

As I watched "The Chaser" tonight I was overwhelmed once again by the tenderness of my heavenly Father's heart and His willingness to let His creation choose for themselves whom they would love, even though it would mean heartache, tears, and a certain death for His only Son.

It was the love of Christ that compelled me to drop to my knees one night in a tiny duplex 20+ years ago and receive Him as my Lord and Savior, and it's that same love today that continues to bring me to my knees in gratefulness, love, and adoration.

No potion required.

We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

My Friday Fave

"Poetry is just the evidence of life," says Leonard Cohen. "If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash."

The above quote is one of 258 reasons as to why "Writing the Life Poetic" was chosen as my Friday Fave. Every page, pregnant with possibilities as Sage Cohen provides numerous chapters of pithy advice, followed by challenges to "Try This!".

"So, how does one live the life poetic? This kind of receptivity takes practice, especially in this fast-paced world where it is more common and acceptable to exhaust ourselves doing things rather than slowing down to digest those experiences that move us."

Reading and applying "Writing the Life Poetic" is an experience that refuses to digest quickly, for it is to be savored, much like a rich morsel of food. With your favorite pen in one hand, and a hot cup of coffee in the other, take a deep breath, pray for creativity from the Creator, and simply enjoy.